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Subscription Boxes: The Reading Edition

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The school year is just around the corner and whether you're heading back to hit the books or not, the nostalgia for freshly sharpened pencils and the new-book smell is contagious. Get your reading and writing fix taken care of by one of these innovative subscription services!

Book Riot is a site all about books- talking about them, sharing them, loving them. And now, they are sharing that bibliophilia even more with The Riot Read. What is it? Well, in their own words, "One of the great pleasures of being a reader is stumbling across something unexpected. Something that we might not have picked up on our own, but for some reason we grabbed it….and then it grabs us. That’s what The Riot Read does. Every month, for about the price of a new hardcover from your local bookstore, we’ll send you a great book." The subscription is thirty dollars a month and will include a surprise book. Most books will be fiction, but could be from any of a wide variety of genres. The only stipulations, according to the site, is that it is a good read), a letter explaining the choice, and there's always the chance of some extra, fun goodies too. On their site they will write and record even more original content about the Book of the Month. Think things like author interviews, live chats, reviews and more!

This subscription service is a steal at only eleven dollars a box. Each month Pennie Post will send you three stationary items, such as greeting cards, postcards, notecards and gift tags. All items are made exclusively for Pennie Post, so you won't these darling designs anywhere else. You can choose to order a one, three, six or twelve month subscription.

New from the country's largest independent bookstore, Powell Books, comes a subscription box that's, well, indispensable, to a book lover. This subscription service, Indispensables, ships every six weeks, in order to send you valuable, quirky, unique books. Powell's makes a special effort to share books from independent publishers, and you can expect the books to have especially unique aspects. Things like signed first editions, original sets. and exclusive printings are common items in Indespensibles. The company tries to share their main item/book pick for each box, but you're getting more than just one book when the box ships. You can also expect exclusive author interviews and other writings about the work, as well as other items including possibly other books, edible goods and totes for carrying even more books. Basically, it is like mini-independent bookstore is being delivered to you door step for thirty-nine dollars a box; you never know what you'll find, but it is sure to intrigue.

Another subscription box for a lover of letters. Nicely Noted sends you three letterpress cards a month for twenty dollars a box. Though a little pricey for cards, Nicely Noted is curated to bring you exposure to new designers and companies in the stationary world, and make sure you always have a card on hard when you need it.

The staff at famous bookstore R.J. Julia Booksellers really want to make sure you get the book that's right for you- whether you can make it to their store or not! They provide subscription services where the books are chosen especially for you- no one size fits all. You can customize based on who the reader is from the age (adult, teen, child, and baby readers all have options) to their genre interests (Options are so varied I won't even try to list them). You can decide how often you want to get books; while each subscription lasts a full year, you can decide if you want books monthly (12 books), bimonthly (6 books) or quarterly (3 books). You can even specify if you'd prefer hardcover, paperback or a mixture. All of these factors do effect price, and since you are paying for a year's worth of books there can be some sticker shock, but in fact it is cheaper than most bookstores! Once you've made your selection about what type of subscription you want, you get to customize further with a short survey to get a better idea of the types of genres, story lines, and interests the reader enjoys. Part of the reason they do this is to make sure it is a book you love, and if you don't love the book, you can return it with a prepaid mailing package in order to exchange it for a book you will adore. Go on and take a look- you're bound to find something for a reader you know (like yourself!)

I feel like I haven't commented on your blog in absolute EONS and for that I apologize deeply.Sadly I've been immersed in my work and getting to comments hasn't been happening as often as I'd like it to. But at least I can stalk you along on Facebook and other media, muwahaha. Anyway, moving on!

Just The Right Book sounds absolutely amazing... to me it sounds like a goodreads recommendation, but they actually send you what they recommend based on ratings and compatibility and such. I would love to get something like that--it'd definitely make me more diligent in reading during the year when I'm usually only able to read profusely during breaks!

These subscription box services are getting more and more creative! I love the Nicely Noted cards, they look gorgeous. Have you heard of/ tried Vain Pursuits? I hear it's another personalized service that sends you skincare products based on a profile you fill out. Seems like another convenient and cute online service. I'm debating if I should give it a try :P